Pepper Spray is a Great Self Defense Weapon

Pepper spray was first developed as a weapon of self defense in the 1960s and 70s after Japanese scientists found a way to isolate the compounds that give chili peppers their fiery flavor.

If you have ever handled chilies you will know how painful it is if it gets into your eyes or nose. The juices from some chilies can even burn your skin. So when you chop chilies up for cooking you need to be extremely careful not to touch your face.

Chilies contain capsaicin, which is the source of the heat you experience. The seeds contain more capsaicin than the flesh, although the ribs that divide the pepper internally are also extremely hot. For this reason many people remove the ribs and the seeds before they start cooking.

Capsaicin, which is the active ingredient of modern pepper spray used for self defense, is an oily substance that is not water soluble. It is extremely painful when it comes into contact with any of the body’s mucous membranes and sensitive skin areas. The actual ingredient used is oleoresin capsicum (OC) which is a powder that may be suspended in liquid, foam or a gel base, in a pressurized aerosol can.

When pepper spray is used for self defense, you spray it into the face of your assailant who is likely to cough and gasp for breath as the capsaicin takes effect. It sometimes causes temporary blindness. Hot pepper spray causes inflammation and its effects can last for up to an hour, sometimes even longer. This should be long enough for you to make a getaway, scream for help or use your martial arts skills to defend yourself further.

The original self-defense spray contained chloroacetophenone (CN), a type of tear gas that was popular for riot control at the time. Because of its extreme toxicity, CN has largely been replaced by a different sort of tear gas, 2-cholorbenzalmalononitrile (usually referred to as CS gas). Some of the best pepper spray products combine OC with CS, which can be extremely effective since different people respond differently to the effects of the two spray types.

There are different types of products that use self defense spray including those that look like a gun. Some newer models will allow you to shoot at your assailant from any angle, and will hit a target that is up to 25 feet away from you. Some will activate an LED light when the gun is triggered, which helps you aim accurately in the dark and also helps to distract an attacker and possibly temporary blind him or her. You can also buy stun gun devices coupled with peeper spray

Remember that any type of self defense weapons that can successfully ward off a would-be attacker will buy you some time. And this should buy you safety. You may also want to check personal safety training options.

Taking the pepper spray idea a step further, some companies are now making modules that can be connected to an existing security system. These come with a gas module that is triggered if the alarm system is triggered. This is enough to give burglars the fright of their lives. More on personal safety alarms